BRUSSELS, March 13 (UPI) -- Afghanistan can reduce its dependency on foreign troops within the next four or five years, Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak said Monday.
"I doubt there will be a need for deployment of a large number of international troops" when Afghanistan gets its army up and running, said Wardak during a news conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
The minister's professed confidence comes amid a recent spike in Taliban-led attacks on U.S. and other forces in Afghanistan. The death toll since the arrival of U.S. troops in late 2001 stands at about 220.
In other news, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a surprise visit to Afghanistan and promised to continue Canada's mission there.
Harper visited the air base in Kandahar and addressed 1,000 Canadian soldiers. He promised to hold the line against "doubters" at home, the Toronto Star reported.
"It's never easy particularly for the men and women on the front lines," Harper said. "And there may be some who want to cut and run. But cutting and running is not your way. It's not my way and it's not the Canadian way."
